3 reasons the Carolina Panthers were right to stay clear of DeAndre Hopkins

Money didn't fit Carolina Panthers newfound approach

When DeAndre Hopkins was released, he had two choices. Either take less money to potentially land on a legitimate Super Bowl contender or go searching for another bumper payday to increase his generational wealth.

Hopkins reportedly turned down a less-than-acceptable financial offer from the Buffalo Bills. Nothing concrete emerged from his visit with the New England Patriots and although the Kansas City Chiefs were reportedly interested, they have just over $500,000 in available cap space - which wasn't going to get the job done.

After much deliberation, Hopkins took the money and ran after getting a tremendous offer from the Tennessee Titans. The former first-round selection got a two-year, $26 million deal that could be worth $15 million in Year 1 if incentives are met, which is a decent chunk of change considering the current market.

Considering the way Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer has gone about his business this offseason, this sort of cash made acquiring Hopkins a non-starter. The franchise has focused more on team-friendly deals that don't jeopardize the future rather than going after bigger fishes at a greater expense throughout the spring - something that represents a more traditional way of roster building en route to playoff contention.

While Hopkins has the credentials and would have been welcomed with open arms by the fanbase, revelations about his financial demands probably made any discussion short between Fitterer and his representatives if the Panthers made an inquiry.